Young people encouraged to make their mark

Monday, 9 November 2020 16:58

Young people across Wolverhampton are being encouraged to take part in the annual Make Your Mark ballot, the largest UK youth consultation of its kind.

The month-long campaign, launched during UK Parliament Week (1-7 November), gives young people in Wolverhampton an opportunity to decide what they think are the most important issues facing the country in 2020.

The ballot, which includes issues such as the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, child poverty, mental health and hate crime, gives young people aged 11-18 the chance to select one issue they think is affecting the UK, and one issue they think is affecting their local community. These will then be debated by members of the UK Youth Parliament.

In 2019, over 10,000 young people in Wolverhampton took part in the vote. This year, for the first time, voting will take place entirely online due to the ongoing pandemic. To get involved, please visit https://www.ukparliamentweek.org/en/make-your-mark/

Wolverhampton Youth MP Ruby Cochrane said: “Make Your Mark is a unique opportunity for young people up and down the country to have their voices heard.

“Now, more than ever, it's imperative that young people in Wolverhampton take the time to vote for the issues they feel passionately about. This year has been hard but by being pro-active we can make a difference, together.”

Fellow Wolverhampton Youth MP Tutsi Rukara added: “Being a Youth MP has given me the privilege to ensure that the views of young people are heard, and that decision makers take these into account.

“In times like these, our views are crucial to helping us recover from this pandemic and it is such an honour to represent young people in Wolverhampton and be a part of the Make Your Mark vote.”

Councillor John Reynolds, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “The Make Your Mark ballot is a great way for young people to contribute their views on the issues that affect their everyday lives.

“It’s more important than ever that we look out for our young people and, in these challenging times, we want to make it easier for them to get their voices heard.

“We used last year's results to help shape our Youth Engagement Strategy and are looking forward to seeing what issues young people in Wolverhampton would like us to focus on this time around.”